Does the Red V-Raptor make the Monstro Redundant?

The Red V-RAPTOR ST 8K VV is officially DSMC3. it is the body of the future.

Where does that leave the Red Monstro 8K? At the time of this writing it’s still available on the Red store for $54,500 (brain only).

Does the Red V-Raptor replace the Red Monstro 8K? If not officially, unofficially perhaps? Let’s compare the two, with available information, to see which one comes out ahead.

Important!

Treat this as a fun comparison with currently available information. I’ll try to update this article when more factual information is available.

In many ways, I’m writing this article to understand the distinction myself. Do these cameras serve an overlapping market, or will they appeal to different sets of filmmakers?

Since we don’t get Red cameras easily in India, and the dealer isn’t very helpful with demos, it might be some time before I get my hands on one, so be patient!

If you haven’t already, check out my Red Monstro 8K review:

https://website-39341349.tnb.awf.mybluehost.me/red-monstro-8k-review-vs-sony-venice/

These are the camera bodies Red currently offers (excluding the Ranger series):

Camera	Price for body	Resolution	Sensor size*
Monstro	$54,500	8K	Full frame
V-Raptor VV	$24,500	8K	Full frame
Helium	$24,500	8K	Super 35mm
Gemini	$19,500	5K	Super 35mm
Dragon-X	$14,950	6K	Super 35mm
Komodo	$6,000?	6K	Super 35mm

You can see the V-Raptor comes it at the same price point as a Helium 8K, and close to the Gemini. The inevitable question that arises is: Does the V-Raptor replace all of these cameras in one fell swoop?

In this article I’ll stick to the Red Monstro 8K.

What does the name V-Raptor ST VV mean?

ST stands for ‘Storm Trooper’, the white and black version. There will be a black/neutral version soon.

V could stand for anything. Jarred said in the live Q&A that it might stand for Veloci-raptor. It’s a trademark thing.

VV stands for Vista Vision, as in full frame 35mm sensor, similar to what the Red Monstro has.

We’ll just call it the V-Raptor.

What kind of films can one make with the Red V-Raptor?

Good ones, hopefully.

Or bad ones. Really, it’s not the cameras’ fault anymore. What I’m more interested in finding is the shooting envelope – what types of challenges can each camera solve, and how much is that worth to me.

Both the cameras on this list are Hollywood-level cameras. There’s no doubt about that. The question is: Is the Red Monstro 8K twice as good, though? No, that’s not the right question.

The right question is: Will it save me or make me twice the money?

Let’s find out!

Comparison of sensors and video features

Here’s how the camera sensors compare:

Camera	Resolution	Shutter	Sensor Size	Dynamic Range
Red Monstro	8192 × 4320	Rolling	40.96 mm x 21.60 mm	17+
Red V-Raptor	8192 × 4320	Rolling	40.96 mm x 21.60 mm	17+

The Raptor doesn’t have a global shutter like the Red Komodo. Red confirmed it’s not the same sensor as the Monstro, though the numbers are close enough.

Red has confirmed the V-Raptor has the highest dynamic range of any Red camera ever, so it has the edge here. It is slightly better in the highlights but definitely better in the shadows.

The other big improvement comes in the rolling shutter performance. From 15ms in the Monstro it has come down to half (8ms) in the V-Raptor. That’s double the improvement!

What about frame rates?

Max Frame Rate	Red Monstro	Crop Factor	Red V-Raptor VV	Crop Factor
8K	60 fps (72 fps @ 2.40:1)	1.00	120 fps (150 fps @ 2.40:1)	1.00
6K	75 fps (100 fps @ 2.40:1)	1.25	160 fps (200 fps @ 2.40:1)	n/a*
4K	240 fps (150 fps @ 2.40:1)	1.87	240 fps (300 fps @ 2.40:1)	n/a*
2K	240 fps (300 fps @ 2.40:1)	3.74	480 fps (600 fps @ 2.40:1)	n/a*

Here the Red V-Raptor wins. If you need high frame rates the choice is pretty much decided. The sensor is cropped at higher frame rates, which is nothing new for Red cameras so it is what it is.

Codec*	Red Monstro (Redcode Wavelet)	Red V-Raptor VV (Redcode DCT)
8K	5:1 (24p), 12:1 (60p)	HQ (24p to 60p), LQ (120p)
4K	2:1 (24p), 3:1 (60p)	HQ (24p to 240p)
2K	2:1 (24p), 3:1 (60p)	HQ (24p to 480p)

8K 120p is only available in LQ, the lowest quality possible.

There is no direct comparison between Wavelet and DCT codecs, though the same team has made both, and I fully expect the DCT variant (also found in the Red Komodo) to be good enough for cinema.

Red has confirmed that MQ is as good as the best in DSMC2, and HQ is better than Monstro. So it would surprise me if LQ wasn’t.

The Red Monstro has one ace up its sleeve:

Alternate Codecs	Red Monstro	Red V-Raptor VV
4K	Prores HQ, DNxHR HQX up to 30 fps	None
2K	Prores 4444 XQ, DNxHR 444 up to 120 fps	None

I’m not sure this is an advantage. There’s a tiny percentage of projects that ask for Prores or DNxHR, and that at reduced resolutions.

I’m sure a bigger percentage of Red owners get hungry during a shoot. Should Red have added a vending machine to the camera? You get my point. By now Red knows its market better than anyone.

Next, what you get externally:

Camera	Connection	Best external resolution and fps
Red Monstro	3G SDI	1080p @ 60fps 10-bit 4:2:2
Red V-Raptor	12G SDI x2	2160p @ 60fps 10-bit 4:2:2

Finally, you have additional improvements like the ability to pre-record, faster operation and feedback from the system, ND filter system (in development), etc.

Overall, you have to give this round to the Red V-Raptor.

Audio

The Red V-Raptor has an advantage here:

Camera	Connection	Specs
Red Monstro	Expander required	24-bit 48 kHz
Red V-Raptor	Mic, Line +48V input via 5-pin	24-bit 48 kHz

With the right breakout cables you should be able to record XLR audio into the camera without recorders.

Huge advantage for the Red V-Raptor., considering the price difference.

Lenses

The Red V-Raptor has a locking Canon RF mount. The locking mount ensures adapters stay rock solid for PL lenses. It is fully electronic.

You’ll need adapters for PL. The Red Monstro can have a Canon EF, Nikon F, Leica M or Arri PL mount. The mount needs to be purchased separately so the costs do add up.

Red’s strategic choice of RF is clear. They are betting on Canon to come out with more RF lenses. Check out our comprehensive articles on all the currently available RF lenses:

https://website-39341349.tnb.awf.mybluehost.me/canon-lens-guides/#RF

You can get robust RF to PL (and any other alternative). The other possibility is the addition of autofocus in the Komodo. There’s no news about that for the V-Raptor, but it would be a killer feature.

Red cameras are also wildly popular in documentaries, and the Red V-Raptor is shaping up to be a killer documentary camera. They use Canon EF lenses and cine zooms a lot. Here’s a quick comparison:

Camera	EF Mount	Price
Red Monstro	Canon EF	$900
Red V-Raptor	Canon RF + EF adapter	$199*

PL to RF adapters are slightly more expensive but still cheaper than Red’s proprietary mount ($950).

Why not the Nikon Z-mount?

Only Red knows. Jarred Land really likes Canon and what they’ve done with the RF mount. On the top of my head, I can think of two reasons (not speaking for Red):

1. Nikon Z lenses have focus by wire systems for manual focusing, and don’t have control rings like RF lenses. This makes them not as useful for cinema work and focus pulling.
2. That leaves AF. Nikon AF isn’t in the same league as Canon RF, Canon EF (both dual pixel AF) or Sony AF. So there goes the second argument to using Nikon Z lenses.

It just doesn’t make sense, seeing how Nikon hasn’t really stepped up to the video game.

Monitoring and ergonomics

What about weight?

Camera	Weight
Red Monstro	1.5 kg, 3.35 lbs
Red V-Raptor	1.8 kg, 4.03 lbs

The Red V-Raptor is heavier, but it has a built-in touchscreen and Wi-Fi.

Then there’s monitoring:

Camera	Monitor*
Red Monstro	$1,450
Red V-Raptor	$2,750

If you don’t want Red touch screens you can always get something else via SDI. No issues. The advantage of the Red touch screen is the direct connection to the camera.

Wireless monitoring and control

You have Wi-Fi camera control and monitoring, which is an excellent feature. You get dual band (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) mounted to a connector.

For monitoring you get a 1080p live preview video feed via 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi. You don’t even need a monitor if you have a nice iPhone or iPad!

You can control the camera via wired USB-C or Gigabit Ethernet (compatible USB-C to Ethernet adapter required) allowing remote camera control, live video feed and remote media offload.

You also get Genlock, Timecode-in, GPIO and Ctrl (RS-232) via an integrated 9-pin EXT Port.

You can achieve a lot of this with the Monstro with additional modules (or the Ranger), but at added cost.

Clearly the Red V-Raptor isn’t fooling around. It has important features that allow it to be used on a multitude of projects. In this respect it wipes the floor with the Monstro.

Batteries and media cards

Red has its own ‘rebranded’ CFexpress Type B card, called the RED DIGITAL CINEMA PRO 660GB. It’s a rebranded Angelbird 660GB card, but not the one currently in the market. Angelbird is coming out with a Mark II that can sustain 800 MB/s, the highest data rate at 8K.

Here’s a look at the media options:

Camera	Dual card slots	Price per GB for 960/660 GB*	Card Reader*
Red Monstro	No, Red Mini-Mag	$2.45/GB	Mini-Mag Reader ($195)
Red V-Raptor	No, CFexpress Type B	$1.45/GB	CFexpress Card Reader ($120)

The price difference is huge for large projects. CFexpress Type B cards are getting cheaper, and Red is allowing users to use any card in the market as long as they hit sustained 800 MB/s write. Very few cards do at this time. For an updated list of compatible cards, click here.

What about battery life?

The Red V-Raptor has a 11-17 V 6-pin DC port. What is great is there is an integrated V-Lock battery interface optimized for Micro V-Lock Batteries. I think the future is smaller brick batteries so it’s a good move (except if you already have a ton of large bricks)

The battery life sucks though, you get about one hour on a 98Wh battery. It sucks power in 8K.

Camera	Battery life with a 98Wh battery	*Cost of two batteries and charger	Cost of 6 hours of operation	Module
Red Monstro	111 minutes^	$549	$1,780	$950
Red V-Raptor	60 minutes	$549	$3,294	$0

When you consider the additional cost and weight of a battery module, the price isn’t that different.

Since both cameras would need a top handle, I’ll just discount that here.

Which is cheaper to own?

Shall we?

Camera	Red Monstro	Red V-Raptor
Camera body	$54,500	$24,500
PL adapter/mount	$950	$369*
Media (1 TB)	$2,508	$1,485
Batteries (6 hours)	$1,780	$3,294
Monitor	$1,450	$2,750
Battery Module	$950	$0
Total	$62,138	$32,398

That’s twice the price!

Verdict

First, a recap:

Feature	Winner
Dynamic Range	Red V-Raptor
ISO Range	N/A
Motion/Rolling Shutter	Red V-Raptor
Frame Rates	Red V-Raptor
Lenses	Red V-Raptor
Media	Red V-Raptor
Ergonomics	Red V-Raptor
Battery life	Red Monstro

As far as I’m concerned, the Red V-Raptor  wins.

Red is coming out with new accessories – XLR adapter, Gold mount adapter, Variable ND adapters, etc. This one’s a no-brainer.

There will also be a Red Ranger coming soon with built-in ND filters and better integration for a full cinema workflow. What’s not to like?

Watch the Q&A here for more info:

Hopefully I’ll get my hands on it sooner rather than later.

What do you think?